Months ago I put together my first manual. That’s my new job, writing manuals. I love writing and helping people, so writing manuals seemed like a perfect fit. Of course, to write a good “How to” manual, you really need to understand the product.
I write technical manuals.
Technical things don’t really like me.
I’ve already broken several technical things at my new office.
But I didn’t let that discourage me. I dove deep (or so I thought) into the program. It made sense. It worked. It flowed. Occasionally the current knocked me around, but I stayed afloat, and I finished my first manual a month after my first day.
Now months later and much farther down the road, I am stunned to discover how my first manual was basic and shallow. It was a kiddie pool and not the ocean.
Don’t get me wrong.
That first manual fulfills its purpose. Most of the people reading my manuals know less about technical stuff than I do, so they’re happy. It’s just weird to step back and realize I didn’t have as good a grasp on something as I thought I did.
I don’t know why that surprises me though. It’s that way with most stuff.
I think it comes from not even knowing what questions to ask and not understanding what’s missing in the picture.
If you think about it, it makes sense.
The problem comes when I don’t pause to see if I’m missing something. When I just assume I’ve got it and move on, then I inevitably don’t have it and should stay put. We can do that in everything from learning new software to people to life.
Until recently, there were a few things I didn’t realize I didn’t know about life…
I didn’t know that I didn’t know who I was on the inside.
I didn’t know that I didn’t know how to speak up for myself.
I didn’t know that I didn’t know what honest, real, lasting love looked like.
I didn’t know that I didn’t know when to fight and when to just listen.
I didn’t know that I didn’t know why my life wasn’t the way I wanted it to be.
Now, I won’t say that I know all those things now, but knowing that I don’t know them has got to be a step in the right direction. For some reason, finding out what I didn’t even know I was missing feels like a gift. Now I know there’s more. Now I fight. Now I love.
Is there something that you don’t know that you don’t know?
I say let the grand adventure begin! Discovering this stuff makes life real and deep, and that is a very good thing.
I didn’t know that I didn’t know, that I didn’t know from the first grade. But when I first was able to ask sensible questions, then I started to know what I didn’t know and still learning to know what I DON”T know.I am trying to know more each day.
I didn’t know that I didn’t know that about you, George… (this could go on for quite a while)